Michael Allan Chelich is a native Indiana resident inspired by the great masters of the Renaissance and Baroque periods of art. Mike Chelich resides and works in Munster, Indiana where, for the last eighteen years, he has been painting and teaching at his art studio. Mike has an interest in a variety of subject matter including allegorical figurative artwork, portraiture, landscape, and still life. He has distinguished himself in the field of portraiture by having received several important portrait commissions including governmental and professional figures in Indiana and Chicago.

Apart from the portrait commissions, Mike’s greatest interest and passion lies in the creation of narrative and allegorical figure compositions. He has always had in interest in the communication of ideas through art coinciding with a fascination for the dramatic figurative paintings of artists from the Renaissance, Baroque, and Romantic periods in Western art. Mike’s goal is to continue to produce figurative art similar in drama and design to that of the Old Masters but with themes drawn from contemporary culture. Mike states, “Creative Figure Composition challenges me at every level of my abilities and allows for a fulfilling expression of feelings and ideas inspired by particular themes of man and his relationship to his own kind and the world at large.”

To further his knowledge of figurative painting, Mike visited the churches, castles and museums of Western Europe to study the artwork of the old European Masters. Mike states, “My interest in art has always been to realistically portray life and the beauty of the forms, textures and colors of the natural world on canvas, especially those subjects for which I have had an intense interest, whether it was wildlife, figurative art, or landscapes. Since I have always had an interest in the realm of ideas, I have strived to create moods and communicate meanings through my figurative artwork. My study of the Old Masters artwork has immersed me in the possibilities of interpreting, expressing, and composing nature in ways that can be visually stimulating and engrossing while simultaneously expressing thoughts and feelings that are meaningful to the human spirit.”

Senator Richard Luger, Chairman of US Foreign Relations Committee
CEO Leo J. Shapiro, Founder of the LJS Group, Chicago, IL
Governor Frank O'Bannon of Indiana, Official Portrait at Indiana Capital Building
Dr. James Yackel, Chancellor of Purdue University Calumet, Hammond Indiana
Governor Evan Bayh of Indiana, Official Portrait at Indiana Capital Building
Dean Phil C. Neal, Former Dean of University of Chicago School of Law
Linda Neal, Attorney at Law, Chicago, IL
Judge Phillip Thieme, Superior Court Justice, Fort Wayne, IN
Dr. Frank Lloyd, former President of Methodist Hospital, Indianapolis,IN
Dr. Panoyotis Iatridis, former Director and Dean of the Northwest Centerfor Medical Education, Indiana University Northwest, Gary, IN
Mr. Robert Lucas, Attorney at Law, Merrillsville, IN
Mr. Donald Powers, Chairman of the Board, MunsterCommunity Hospital Munster, IN
Daughters of Mr. Bruce Leep, CEO of Sand Ridge Bank, Highland, IN
'Jesus Washing Peter's Feet' Bruce Leep, Sand Ridge Bank
'St. Joseph and Child' St. Ann's Church, Lansing, IL
Dr. Steven Beering, Chairman of the National Science Board of Medicine and Higher Education and former President of Purdue University
Mrs. Joanne Birdzell, Administrative Director of St. Catherine's Hospital, East Chicago, IN
Mr. Milton Trianna, Administrative Director, St. Mary's Hospital, Hobart, IN

Professional and Academic Honors

Book cover for 'God and Evolution' Dan Samson
Gold Medal Award for Best of Show at the Hudson Valley Art Association, New York 2004
Award of Merit, Art Renewal Center,First Annual Salon Show, 2004
Merit Award at an International Portrait Competition sponsored by the Portrait Society of America
Gold Medal Award for Best of Show at the Hudson Valley Art Association, New York 2001
American Society of Classical Realism Guild Member
First Place($5,000 Grant)Stacey Lee Foundation, National Competition
Best of Show, Area Artists Art Competition, Michigan City, IN
First Place in Acrylics, Griffith Art Show in the Park
Tuition Scholarship from the American Academy of Art Northern Indiana Arts Association scholarship for graduating high school seniors
Indiana Federation of Women's Clubs
Union League Club Civic and Arts Foundation of Chicago